The 24-7 Cross-media Machine

What exactly is inspiration? Perhaps it’s just a reminder of all the elements you already have access to. That was our thought upon reading about the Mine-Awareness Day exhibit at the New Museum in New York City.

Briefly: Attendees tried to negotiate their way through the exhibit hall without triggering a “mine explosion” on their smartphones, courtesy of an app called Sweeper.

More about this from PSFK:

“The Sweeper app used iBeacons, a low-energy Bluetooth technology, to detect hidden transmitters located in various areas of the exhibit. When a user came too close to a transmitter, it acted like a landmine and detonated, filling the user’s headphones with the sounds of an explosion. It was then followed by audio testimony of a person’s actual experience. The app also provided information about the type of mine that was detonated. Users were then invited to make a small donation of $5 to help UNMAS ensure no one has to experience the real version of what they had just gone through.”

An inspiring reminder for us all of the powerful cross-media machine that nearly everybody carries with them every day.

Author: Aaron Berman

A former writer and editor for USA Today, Aaron Berman is also the editor of PaperSpecs, and covered the newspaper industry for the Newspaper Association of America’s monthly magazine, Presstime.